Building block



Oct, 12,1926.

7 R. M WILLIAMS BUILDING BLOCK Filed Oct. 31, 1924 Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROWLAND MQWILLIAMS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO REPUBLIC FIREPROOF- ING- COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BUILDING BLOCK.

Application filed October 31, 1924. Serial No. 747,079.

This invention relates to floor constructions and particularly to blocks for use therein.

In floor construction of the type in which blocks are spaced apart to provide intersecting channels for the concrete and reinforcement various arrangements have been proposed for closing the ends of the hollow blocks to prevent the concrete from partial- Ifl ly filling the same. Many of the prior constructions have employed separate plates or slabs to close the open ends of hollow blocks and in other constructions special forms of blocks having one closed end have been cm- H ployed. The special blocks are usually expensive to manufacture and the separate closure plate constructions must be posi tioned with care before the plastic filling mass is poured. Some forms of separate i closure plate constructions are also open to the objections that the plate prevents the formation of a bond between the end faces of the block and the concrete.

An object of the invention is to provide 2? a hollow building block having an integral end closure of simple and inexpensive construction. A further object is'to provide a hollow building block having an indented end closure.

These and other objects of my invention are attained in the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a floor or roof construction in which the 3:- hollow blocks are keyedto the concrete;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through a pair of the hollow blocks.

Figs 3 and 1 illustrate steps in the manufacture of the hollow blocks, Fig. 3 being 4" a vertical section through a tile in place upon a pallet and Fig. l a similar section showing the poured end wall in place, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a pallet.

In the drawings, the character T identifies the hollow blocks which are arranged in pairs and with the several pairs spaced apart to provide intersecting channels for receivingconcrete C and steel reinforcing S.

Each block T has a plurality of side walls 59 1, and an end wall 2 which is spaced inwardly from the end face of the block. The block usually has four side faces which with the end wall form a rectangular block having one open end, but the block may take differcut shapes to suit diiferent conditions. The

distinguishing feature of my novel block is the indenting of the end wall 2, which indenting results in a stronger floor or roof construction since the blocks are keyed to the concrete of the beams by the plastic maon terial which flows into the recessed end face of the block T. As shown in Fig. 1, the pairs of blocks are so arranged that the longitudinal axis of a pair of blocks is at an angle, usually at right angles to the adja- 05 cent pairs of blocks.

Hollow blocks having indented end walls may be manufactured very economically with tile making machinery such as described in Patent No. 1,483,513, granted 7o February 12, 1924, to Ketcher and McWilliams. The machine molds a hollow tile upon a pallet, which pallet should be formed with an outer flange 3 against which the end faces of the walls 1 of the tile are compacted and with a raised central portion 4 of such shape and size as to fill the bore of the tile. As the molded tile are shifted to a hardening floor or rack, a quick-setting plastic, such as cement grout is poured into the hollow tile so to form the indented end wall 2. When the blocks T are formed by pouring grout into a freshly molded concrete block, a very strong bond is secured between the side and end walls. It is obvious, however, that the hollow blocks may be manufactured from previously hardened tubular members of concrete, tile or terra cotta. In any case the hollow member is vertically disposed upon a pallet having a raised central porti n which snugly engages the inner walls of the member, and grout is poured into the member to form a wall which is spaced from the end face of the block.

It will be noted that a number of advantagcs are secured by indenting the end wall. The recessed wall results in a strong flooror roof construction since the blocks are keyed to the concrete by the plastic material which fills the recess. This advantage of a we stronger construction does not, however, increase the cost of the block. On the contrary, the blocks with indented walls may be manufactured at a less cost than would be required for blocks having fiat end walls since the indented end wall is protected from damage during handling and may be made relatively thin. I

While I have described the hollow blocks as being particularly useful in a floor or roof no construction, it is obvious that the invention is not limited thereto as the hollow block may be used, either singly or in pairs, in other constructions where a simple and -nexpensive filler is required or where a keyed bond to cement or plaster is desirable.

1. A monolithic building block *for cooperation with a substantially identical block to form a closed unit in a two-way floor construction, said block eon'iprising side walls defining a substantially rectangular tube and a single ,end wall substantially par allel to but spaced inwardly from the adjacent end faces of said side walls.

2. A monolithic building block -for cooperation with a substantially identical block to form a closed unitin a two-way floor construction, said blo cl; com rising four side walls defining a substantially rec- ROWLAND MCVVILLIAMS. 

